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Seasonal Biological Science Technician (Fisheries)
- National Park Service (Grand Canyon, AZ)
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Summary These positions may be filled for a six-month seasonal period, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: October 2025 Responsibilities Be a successful applicant. Watch this 5 minute video to learn how to create a federal resume. Salary Range: GS-05: $19.33 per hour GS-06: $21.54 per hour GS-07: $23.94 per hour Major Duties: Serves as a biological science technician within the Fisheries Program of the Science and Resource Management Division of Grand Canyon National Park and performs technician work that is supportive of professionals in resource management (i.e., fisheries biologists). These positions are primarily involved with research, conservation, production and management of fishes, fishery resources, or in the determination, establishment, and application of biological facts, methods, techniques, and procedures necessary for research, conservation and management of fishes and other aquatic animals and resources. Implements fisheries monitoring/management projects (e.g., trout reduction or smallmouth bass surveillance) following established standardized operating procedures. Responsible for managing the daily tasks associated with winter fisheries monitoring projects, under direction of the Nonnative Project Manager. Collects and organizes field data, ensures quality control of data or collected samples. Participates and is involved in training, field team logistics, solving operational and logistical problems, assisting with equipment ordering and maintenance, field installation and operation of equipment, food buys and helicopter flight requests, working as part of field crews of 8-12 people (seasonal employees, interns, and volunteers) for eight-day rotating shifts. Uses a variety of computer programs to compile, reduce, store, retrieve, analyze, and report data and other management information. Assists in the preparation of monthly reports, plans, and guidelines related to fisheries monitoring/management projects. Preparation of monthly reports may also include being asked to create graphs, charts, and tables. Office work will also include time keeping, submitting travel authorizations/vouchers, as well as additional training. Responsible for organizing, cleaning, inventorying of fisheries sampling gear and field gear at the warehouse. GS-06 and GS-07 position provides advice, assistance, and training to volunteers, interns, or lower graded technicians. GS-07 position is distinguished from GS-06 grade level requiring the incumbent to have greater knowledge, experience, and judgment in order to complete a variety of conventional projects of relatively limited scope; independently resolve problems for which precedents exist; select, from several alternatives, the most appropriate course of action for planning and executing work; and apply a wide range of conventional methods and solutions to new situations. As a result, the position has a broader scope and effect; unlike lower-graded positions, this position directly affects the design, operation, and adequacy of natural resource activities. Area Information: This position is stationed at Grand Canyon National Park at the South Rim located in Northern Arizona. The South Rim is located approximately 60 miles north of Williams and 82 miles Northwest of Flagstaff at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Temperatures range from approximately 90 degrees in the summer to 0 degrees in the winter. Annual precipitation averages around 13 inches. Grand Canyon Village has schools K-12, a daycare center, post office, general store, churches, a recreation center with gym, a public library, a clinic with resident physicians, and several restaurants. The park community consists of some 2,500 people, including employees of the NPS and concessionaires and their family members. There are often employment opportunities for family members in the park and surrounding areas. The park community is small enough that many employees choose to walk or bike from their homes to work. Complete shopping, educational, medical and professional services are available in Williams and Flagstaff. Flagstaff has a population of about 75,000 and has multiple K-12 public and private schools, Northern Arizona University, and diverse community, medical and other support services. Recreational opportunities include hiking, backpacking, fishing, cross-country and downhill skiing, and golfing in nearby communities. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. Government housing may be available. You may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work. You will be required to travel overnight away from home. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle. If selected for a position/location required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/23/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: assist in conducting established natural resource management projects; following instructions and standardized procedures for natural resources field work; collecting and organizing field data; performing routine and recurring testing of collected biological samples; following established quality control protocols and safety procedures for resource management projects; assisting higher level specialists or technicians in the preparation of portions of reports, plans, or guidelines related to resource management projects. Duties are supportive of professional specialists in resource management; relevant to research, conservation, and management of natural resources such but not limited to wildlife (land or aquatic) monitoring or control; field studies on plant or forest ecology, inventorying, monitoring, and/or control of invasive plants, or making other field observations on the state of natural resource conditions. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree in an accredited educational institution (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) which included at least 24 semester hours of scientific or technical courses, such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. AND at least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to this position. Examples of directly related education are biology, botany, range science, forestry, ecology, environmental science, zoology, fisheries, animal husbandry, natural resource management, or other directly related fields. You must include transcripts. -OR- COMBINATION: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to one year of specialized experience. For example, I have six months of the specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and three years of college study from an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education) which included at least 12 semester hours of scientific or technical courses as described above and of which at least 3 semester hours was in directly related subjects as described above (50% of the related coursework required). You must include transcripts and hours per week worked. To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: conducting fisheries surveys; collecting and recording information on fish such as length and weight; gathering spatial data on fish; assisting in preparing reports and correspondence related to field activities; or assisting in providing training in resource management projects and field research; implementing established natural resource management projects; following instructions and standardized procedures; collecting and organizing field data; ensuring quality control of data collected. Duties are supportive of professional specialists in resource management; relevant to research, conservation and management of natural resources such as aquatic wildlife monitoring or control. You must include hours per week worked. To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: conducting fisheries surveys; collecting and recording information on fish such as length and weight; gathering spatial data on fish; preparing reports and correspondence related to field activities; developing graphs, charts and illustrations for reports and technical publications related to field activities using computer software; or assisting in providing training in resource management projects and field research; following instructions and standardized procedures; collecting and organizing field data; ensuring quality control of data collected. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hour or 27 quarter hours) directly related to this position. Examples of directly related education are biology, botany, range science, forestry, ecology, environmental science, zoology, fisheries, animal husbandry, natural resource management, or other directly related fields. You must include transcripts. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Located in "How to Apply" section. Education To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Additional Information Salary Range: A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. Additional Selections: This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification. Promotion Potential: Positions will be filled at one grade level and have no promotion potential. Physical Demands: The work requires regular physical exertion such as walking or climbing over wet, rough, uneven and/or rocky surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, or reaching to observe, collect and/or record field data; or in some situations the work may require physical exertion to handle wild animals, prepare soil for planting, camp overnight in backcountry locations, to scuba dive or operate a boat (varies by location). Heavy items, such as equipment packs weighing up to 50 pounds, must be lifted and carried on a regular basis. May be required to hike several miles in a day. Work Environment: The work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in a field environment. The work performed in the field involves regular and recurring exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain, poisonous plants, biting insects and wild animals. Some positions require the use of chemicals (for example, pesticides/herbicides to control invasive plants or chemical treatments for invasive aquatic species). The employee is required to follow all safety procedures based on the task being carried out which may require use protective clothing/gear such as gowns, coats, boots, goggles, gloves, etc. Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS). If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility. The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM. Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.
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